King takes readers “Under the Dome”

Stories can no more be alike than snowflakes. The reason is simple: no two human imaginations are exactly a like. -Stephen King on his website about the similarity to “Under the Dome” and The Simpson’s Movie.

But great minds do tend to think alike — to a certain degree. When I saw that the protagonist in “Under the Dome,” Dale Barbara, is a short order cook. I couldn’t help but to think about another one of my favorite cooks turned hero Odd Thomas written by another great creative mind Dean Koontz.

Before I purchased the book, I didn’t know (or paid any attention to) the length. However, after I had picked up “Under the Dome” and saw that it’s 1,072 pages deep, the first thought that came to mind was “The Stand,” the longest book in King’s career at 1,153 (the complete and uncut version). So, much like “The Stand,” I was expecting an epic.

There are similarities to both “The Stand” and “Under the Dome” for example both novels have a strong antagonist whose power allows him to control ‘minions.’  “The Stand” has Randall Flagg, “Under the Dome” has Jim Rennie.  The actions by both cause grave destruction to human life and both novels has a ‘us’ vs. ‘them’ element to it.

Conceptual art for Stephen King's newest novel, "Under the Dome" which was released on Nov. 10.

Initially, I believed that “Under the Dome” is a story about the human spirit and what happens to that spirit when it is cut off from the outside world — when the life you’re use to cease to exist.  The novel is about that but I was 99 percent through the book before the REAL moral of the story is revealed:

“What did the leatherhead girl say to you at the end?”

“…’Wear it home, it’ll look like a dress.’”

“She was talking about the brown sweater?”

“No. About our lives. Our little lives.”

“If she gave it to you, let’s put it on.”

As human beings, we tend to take life for granted.  Many times it takes someone — or SOMETHING — from the outside to remind us of that. King reminds us of that.

“Under the Dome” is long and not what I would call a page turner.  However, I won’t necessarily call it bad either.  King keeps the story fluid enough to make you want to find the answer to your questions — but not without a break.  For habitual Stephen King readers, “Under the Dome” won’t stand out from, let’s say, “Lisey’s Story.”  It’s a hybrid of “The Stand” with a child-like innocence of “Tommyknockers” (mainly because the aliens in this one are children.)

For the ‘Constant’ King reader, it’ll be alright to pass on “Under the Dome.”  Once again, it’s not ‘GREAT’ but it’s not ‘BAD’ either.  It’s like your favorite ice cream flavor — it’s good when you first taste it and although the flavor never change, you’ll get use to it.

For those who are new or not as ‘constant,’ you’ll enjoy it.

Sins of the mother

This story touches close to home.

Fayetteville, N.C. — home of Fayetteville State University but better known as the home of Fort Bragg.  It is also roughly an hour northwest from my hometown.

On Tuesday of this past week, a 5-year-old girl was reported missing.  Shaniya Davis was abducted from her mother’s home some time between five and six o’clock in the morning.  Her blanket was reported to have been found in a

5-year-old Shaniya Davis was abducted from her home on Tuesday, Nov. 10. She was found dead on Monday, Nov. 16.

neighbor’s trash bin hours later with feces on it.

An arrest was made Friday when Shaniya was seen on a hotel surveillance video in the arms of Mario Andrette McNeill.  McNeill admitted to the kidnapping but said that he will plead not guilty in court.

Which brings us to Saturday night and the arrest of Antoinette Davis, Shaniya’s mother.  Davis is being charged with child abuse involving prostitution for ‘knowingly providing Shaniya with the intent that she be held in sexual servitude,’ permitted an act of prostitution and filing a false police report, according to ‘The Fayetteville Observer.’

Shaniya’s body was found Monday.

The circumstances of this case is sad.  A mother, according to Shaniya’s father Bradley Lockhart (a white man), who dealt with money issues only had Shaniya for a month before she seemingly sold her off to the black market.  Lockhart told the Associated Press that he raised Shaniya until recently.

Lockhart also said that his relationship with Davis was just a “one-night stand.”

The case is upsetting because some fundamental issues that effects our culture is on display here.  Davis, who is 25, was never fit to be a mother, her actions prove that she never wanted her child.  Davis only had Shaniya for a short while before putting her into the world that may or may not have helped Davis get back on her feet.

Antoinette Nicole Davis, the mother of Shaniya, is charged with the disappearance of her daughter.

Money and prostitution became Davis’ trade (possibly) — a vice so powerful that she subjected her own 5-year-0ld daughter into the business.

And what about Lockhart, who admitted that it was only a one-night stand?  I question his motives.  I question his logic.  He knew what type of woman Davis is/where before he decided to run up in it raw dog so why did he ‘co-sign’ to her having Shaniya?  Why wouldn’t either one wanted an abortion?  Is there more to his that he isn’t telling?

As human beings, we are not suppose to pass judgment about people.  We are told to let the justice system determine the fate of individuals.  We, as human beings, have a moral standing within ourselves from which we live our lives daily.  When stories such as Shaniya’s appear in the news, you can’t help but to judge the people involved with such acts.  You can’t help but to question how can a mother be so inept at motherhood that she would sell her own child away for sex and money?

As we pray for the family of Shaniya,  as they start their healing process, we have to cast an evil eye on Miss Davis (and Mr. Lockhart?) for the rape of innocence.  It’s not me to say what Antoinette Davis deserves (if of course she is found liable) for what she has done to her daughter but we could only hope that the price is well deserved.

No matter how horrible it may be.

Blurred line between fantasy and reality

I stumbled upon this story and tried my best to find something to write.  Unfortunately, I don’t have many words to fill a lot of this up.  So, all I have is the video report but I do have a few thoughts before you view the clip.

Society has a way to blame every thing for everything that goes on in our communities — especially when it affects the youths.  There are government hearings to try to ban rap music and videos that degrade women, gang members-turned-rappers being banned from concerts and lyrics about guns.  However, sex is touchy.

On Jamie Foxx’s first album Unpredictable, his song “Three Letter Word,” Foxx sang:  Sex, all the time…Sex, on my mind…Sex, everywhere I go…It’s getting to the point where I watch it on TV, when I buy DVDs. The song basically shows that you can’t avoid sex — it’s around you constantly. From magazines to TVs to right down to the movies you buy.  Because sex sells, so it gets hushed.

Sex has corrupted minds to the point that has blurred the line between what’s fantasy and what’s reality.  In the street vernacular it’s called ‘running the train.’  In the pornographic community, it is known as a gang bang.  For the rest of society, it is simply a gang rape.  One act, three different ideas.  For a lot of people, it’s their fantasy to perform a gang bang on a female — or to ‘run the train.’  But the reality is that this fantasy can get you prison time.

While listening to this story of a teenage girl getting gang raped at a school dance in Richmond, Cali., I wasn’t a bit surprised to hear that there were at least 10 people there watching (and some who participated) and none of them reported the act to the authorities.  Why would they? It’s a fantasy right? Don’t most men want to ‘run a train’ on a female? Aren’t there women out there who want to have sex with multiple men at the same time?

Despite the fact the girl was underage drinking, the blame doesn’t fall on the victim or the assailants — but on society’s insatiable lust of sex.  It is why we don’t know the difference — that one man’s fantasy is another man’s rape.